Redbubble lets artists sell designs on shirts, stickers, wall art, and more without touching inventory, and that is exactly why so many sellers start there. It is also why so many go looking for another home once they see how the fees work. The Redbubble help pages I reviewed list a platform fee that depends on your account tier, a monthly cap on account fees, and an excess markup fee on pricing above 20%. I run my own stores and teach high-ticket dropshipping at Ecommerce Paradise, so I judge each option by what it costs per year and what you keep.
Everything below comes from each vendor’s own pricing, fee, or help page as I reviewed it in October 2026. Where a page does not show a number, I write “not shown” instead of guessing, and where two pages disagree, I say so. Fees change often, so confirm them before you sign up. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you sign up, at no extra cost to you.
One note before we start. Selling designs through a marketplace is a low-ticket, high-volume game, which is a different model from the one I teach. If you are still deciding which model fits you, read my guide to what high-ticket dropshipping is, then compare the options below by yearly take-home.
Redbubble Alternatives at a Glance
| Option | What it costs | Free option | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zazzle | You set a royalty rate, with fees listed on the help pages | Free store | Designers who want a large product range and a royalty model |
| Spreadshop | No setup fee, no monthly fee, base price per item | Free shop | Sellers who want a branded shop with fulfillment handled |
| Etsy | $0.20 per listing plus a 6.5% transaction fee | No free plan, listing fee only | Sellers who want a marketplace with a built-in shopper base |
| Society6 | Earnings not shown on the page I read | Application required | Artists selling wall art and home decor |
| Shopify with Printify | Shopify Basic at $29 a month billed yearly | Printify Free plan at $0 | Sellers who want to own the store and the customer list |
A marketplace store rents you a storefront, but it does not give you a business you own. If you want a high-ticket store built for you with the products and suppliers lined up, start here. See the done-for-you store build →
What Redbubble Costs and Where It Falls Short
The Redbubble selling page calls it a free to join marketplace and says your art can go on over 70 unique products. Creating an account and shop is free, and fees apply only when a sale is made. Your account tier is assigned at sign-up based on your profile and the work you upload.
The tiers and fees help page lists the platform fee as a percentage of your monthly earnings, calculated at the end of each pay period. It is 50% on Standard, 20% on Premium, and 0% on Pro. The page says total account fees will not exceed $150 a month.
An excess markup fee applies on top of that for Standard and Premium accounts. The Redbubble blog post on the fee says it applies only to markup above 20%, and that you keep 50% of what you earn beyond that point. Pro accounts are exempt. The post gives an example of a $20 shirt with a 30% markup, where the $6 margin includes $2 from the extra 10%, a $1 fee is taken, and $5 is left.
A payment calculation page says the base price covers Redbubble’s marketplace fee and the manufacturer’s production cost, and that markup defaults to 10%. Payout threshold, payout schedule, and payout methods are not shown on the pages I read. So where does Redbubble fall short? For a new artist on Standard, the 50% platform fee is the main reason people compare. You can see the current program on Redbubble yourself.
How to Pick a Redbubble Alternative
Start with what you sell. Wall art and home decor suit a different marketplace than shirts, stickers, or phone cases. Name your main product before you compare fees.
Next, decide whether you want a marketplace or your own store. A marketplace gives you a place where shoppers already browse, while your own store means you bring the traffic yourself. That trade drives most of the cost differences below.
Finally, check how you get paid. Look for the payout schedule, the minimum balance, and the tax forms. My dropshipping tools guide groups tools by job and helps you see where a selling channel fits in your stack.
1. Zazzle
Zazzle is a marketplace with a very wide product range. The selling page says you set the royalty rate for your designs and that Zazzle handles fulfillment and customer service. It tells you to register for an account and set up a free store. Payout schedule and minimum payout are not shown.
The Zazzle help pages do not fully agree on royalty rates. The royalty and referral page lists 5% as the standard rate, with a 50% maximum on physical products and 99% on digital products. The posting page lists a 10% default that can be adjusted from 5% to 100%. Check the live help center before you plan around either number.
The royalty page also lists a marketing royalty fee of 35% to 50% of gross royalties by department, and an excess royalty fee of 5% of gross royalty when the rate is set above 10%. It does not spell out how these combine, so I did not calculate a take-home figure. Zazzle suits designers who want a large product range and are willing to read the fee pages carefully.
2. Spreadshop
Spreadshop gives you your own branded shop. The homepage says there is no setup fee, no monthly fee, and no minimum order. You set the selling price, and Spreadshop deducts the base price for the product and printing, and the rest is yours. A commission rate is not stated.
Base prices are listed from $16.99 for a t-shirt, $27.99 for a hoodie, $25.99 for a sweatshirt, $12.99 for mugs and bottles, and $11.99 for caps and hats. The page gives its own example: a $27.99 base-price item sold at $43.99 leaves $16.00, and 50 sales a month shows $800 a month. That is the vendor’s example, not a promise, and a performance bonus is mentioned without terms.
The page lists four of its own production facilities in Europe and the US, with US orders printed in Las Vegas. Payouts are monthly after a minimum balance (the amount is not shown), by direct deposit to a US bank account or PayPal. Spreadshop suits sellers who want a branded shop, with printing, shipping, returns, and customer service handled for them.
3. Etsy
Etsy is the marketplace with a clear fee table. The Etsy fees page lists a $0.20 listing fee per item and a 6.5% transaction fee on the displayed price plus shipping and gift wrapping. The payment processing rate is not shown there, and the page says it varies by the location of your bank account.
The page also lists an Offsite Ads fee of 15% on attributed orders, or 12% if you had at least $10,000 in sales over the prior 365 days, with each order’s fee capped at $100. A one-time set-up fee is mentioned, but the amount is not shown. By my math, a $30 sale carries $1.95 in transaction fees and $0.20 in listing fees, so $2.15, before processing.
Etsy does not print your designs, so you pair it with a print provider such as Printify, which lists Etsy among its integrations. I compare it with other places to sell in my Etsy alternatives guide. Etsy suits sellers who want a marketplace with a shopper base and a transparent fee list.
4. Society6
Society6 focuses on art and home goods. The Society6 selling page says to apply to join as an artist, and the Apply Now button links to an external form. Artist earnings, commission percentages, payout rules, and fees are not shown on the page I read.
The site menus list a broad product range: art prints, posters, canvas prints, tapestries, bedding, shower curtains, throw pillows, rugs, furniture, mugs, tote bags, laptop sleeves, yoga mats, and phone cases. I could not load the Society6 help center, so I cannot give you a fee number.
Because the earnings terms are not shown, treat Society6 as a place to apply and read the live terms before you upload anything. It suits artists whose work fits wall art and home decor.
5. Your Own Store With Shopify and Printify
The last option is to stop renting space and build your own store. The Shopify pricing page lists the Basic plan at $39 a month billed monthly or $29 a month billed yearly, with a trial of 3 days free and then $1 a month for 3 months. Online card rates are listed at 2.9% plus 30 cents for standard cards.
The Printify pricing page lists a free plan with 5 stores, unlimited product designs, and integrations with Shopify, Etsy, and eBay. Premium is from $39 a month, or $24.99 a month billed yearly. I compare it with other print providers in my Printify alternatives guide.
The trade is traffic. A marketplace has shoppers already, and your own store means you bring them. In return you keep your customer list and set your own prices. This option suits sellers who want to own the store and are ready to market it.
Other Names You Will See
TeePublic and Amazon Merch on Demand come up in almost every list of Redbubble alternatives. The TeePublic selling page and the Amazon Merch page would not load for me, so I did not add them to the main list. Read the live terms and recent seller reports before you upload.
What Each Option Costs Per Year
These figures are my own math from the listed numbers, and they leave out card processing, taxes, and shipping where those apply. They use one example, 100 shirts sold a month, each with a $20 base price and a 20% markup, so the margin is $4 and monthly earnings are $400.
On Redbubble Standard, the 50% fee would be $200, but the $150 monthly cap applies, so the fee is $150 and you keep $250 a month, or $3,000 a year. On Premium, the 20% fee is $80, so you keep $320 a month, or $3,840 a year. On Pro, the fee is 0%, so you keep $400 a month, or $4,800 a year. The 20% markup avoids the excess markup fee.
Spreadshop, Zazzle, and Society6 cannot be put into the same example because their rates or fees are not shown in a form I can apply. A Shopify Basic plan is $348 a year billed yearly or $468 billed monthly, plus card processing, and the Printify Free plan adds $0 in subscription. Etsy would charge $0.20 per listing and 6.5% per sale, so the $30 example above carries $2.15 before processing.
Which Option Fits Which Seller
If you are new and just testing designs, a marketplace such as Redbubble, Zazzle, or Society6 lets you start without building a store. If you sell mostly shirts and hoodies and want a branded shop, Spreadshop is built for it. If your products are handmade or craft-style, Etsy has the shopper base.
If you want to own the customer, your own store is the best fit. You pay a platform fee, but you keep the email list and choose your prices.
If Redbubble already earns money for you and sits on Premium or Pro, there may be no reason to move. Moving costs time and can interrupt sales.
Features Worth Paying For
Pricing control comes first. Redbubble lists full control over pricing on Standard, Zazzle lets you set royalties, and Spreadshop lets you set the selling price. Check how the fees treat higher markups before you raise prices.
Payout details come second. Spreadshop lists monthly payouts by direct deposit or PayPal, and the tax forms W-9 and W-8BEN. Redbubble and Zazzle do not show payout schedules on the pages I read.
Mockups come third. Product photos sell products, and a mockup tool such as Placeit is one option I have reviewed. A marketplace usually makes its own mockups, so you need this more for your own store.
Using Print on Demand With a High-Ticket Store
A print on demand line can sit beside a high-ticket store as a small extra, such as branded apparel for your niche audience. Build it on Shopify so everything lives in one checkout. Start with the main store first.
My high-ticket niches list shows where the larger margins are. My guide to finding suppliers for high-ticket dropshipping explains how to line up the products behind it.
A Simple 30-Day Test Plan
Pick one new platform and upload five of your best designs. Order a sample of at least two products so you can judge print quality yourself. Write down the real cost of each sample, including shipping.
In week two, share the shop with a small audience and track the first sales. Check how the platform shows your fees and earnings for each sale. Fix any listing that confuses buyers.
In week three, compare real take-home with what you earn on Redbubble. Count every fee you actually paid. At the end of the month, decide whether the move is worth the work.
Costs to Watch as You Grow
The first cost is the platform fee. Redbubble Standard lists 50% of monthly earnings, up to a $150 cap, and the cap changes the math as your earnings grow. Run the numbers at your real volume.
The second cost is the markup trap. Redbubble’s excess markup fee applies above a 20% markup on Standard and Premium, so a higher price can cost more than it earns. Zazzle lists an excess royalty fee when the rate goes above 10%.
The third cost is processing and ads. Etsy lists an Offsite Ads fee of 12% to 15% on attributed orders, and Shopify lists 2.9% plus 30 cents on online card payments. These stack on top of platform fees.
Moving Away From Redbubble Safely
Do not delete your Redbubble shop on the day you open a new one. Keep it running while you test the new platform on a few designs. Save your original design files, titles, descriptions, and tags first.
Check the terms on each platform before you upload the same design to two places. Some programs may have rules about exclusive content, and the Redbubble page I read does not show an exclusivity rule either way. Read the live terms.
Track your sales by platform so you can see which one earns more per design. After a few months, you can drop the weakest.
When Redbubble Is Still the Right Pick
Redbubble may still be the right pick if you want a free marketplace with a wide product range. It lists over 70 unique products, a free account and shop, and a 0% platform fee on Pro accounts. For artists in the Pro tier, the fee math is hard to beat.
If you are on Standard and earn modest amounts, compare take-home on another platform before you move. Match the platform to your product and do not switch only because a list told you to.
Hiring Help to Run a Design Shop
A design shop needs steady work: uploads, titles, tags, and customer messages. A virtual assistant from OnlineJobs.ph can upload designs, write listing drafts, and answer routine questions from a short guide. Write down your tone and your refund rules first.
For a one-off job, such as a logo or a set of illustrations, a freelancer on Fiverr can save you time. Share access carefully and remove it when the job ends.
Common Mistakes With Print on Demand Marketplaces
The first mistake is ignoring the fee tiers. A 50% fee on Redbubble Standard is very different from 0% on Pro. The second mistake is raising prices without checking the markup rules.
The third mistake is uploading designs you do not own the rights to. The fourth mistake is selling before your company exists. If you have not formed your company, read my guide to business formation for high-ticket dropshipping. To file an LLC quickly, Bizee is one option I recommend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Redbubble?
It depends on what you sell. Zazzle suits a wide product range, Spreadshop suits a branded shop, Etsy suits sellers who want a shopper base, and a Shopify store with Printify suits sellers who want to own the customer.
How much does Redbubble take?
The help page lists a platform fee of 50% of monthly earnings on Standard, 20% on Premium, and 0% on Pro, with total account fees capped at $150 a month. An excess markup fee applies on Standard and Premium to markup above 20%.
Is there a free alternative to Redbubble?
Spreadshop lists no setup fee and no monthly fee, Zazzle lists a free store, and the Printify Free plan costs $0. Each one still takes a share of sales through base prices, royalties, or fees.
Can I sell the same design on more than one platform?
Often yes, but terms differ by platform. Read the live terms on each one, and keep your original files.
Is print on demand a good fit for a high-ticket store?
It can be a small side line, but the margins per order are thin compared with high-ticket products. Treat it as an extra rather than the main business.
Final Verdict on Redbubble Alternatives
Zazzle is the pick for a wide product range, Spreadshop is the pick for a branded shop with fulfillment handled, Etsy is the pick for a marketplace with a clear fee list, Society6 is a place to apply if your work fits wall art, a Shopify store with Printify is the pick for owning your customers, and Redbubble is worth keeping if you are on Premium or Pro.
Start with one platform, read the live fee pages, and run the numbers at your real volume. Then put your attention on the designs, because a platform only sells what people want to buy.
Want a high-ticket store with the products, suppliers, and pages already set up? Let my team build it for you. Get your store built →
Prefer to learn the model yourself? Start with my free mini course, or go deeper in the masterclass and coaching. Free mini course → Masterclass → Coaching →
Related Articles
If you found this useful, these guides go deeper on related topics:
- Printify Alternatives: 5 Print on Demand Options Compared by Cost (2026)
- Etsy Alternatives for Sellers in 2026: 6 Places to Sell Compared by Fees and Fit
- eBay Alternatives for Sellers: 4 Places to Sell Compared by Fees and Fit (2026)
- Tapstitch Review 2026: Build a Premium Streetwear Brand Without Inventory
- Dropshipping Tools: 34 Best Tools by Job for 2026
Trevor Fenner is an ecommerce entrepreneur and world traveler from Seattle, Washington, and the founder of Ecommerce Paradise, a platform focused on helping entrepreneurs build and scale profitable high-ticket ecommerce and dropshipping businesses. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Trevor specializes in high-ticket dropshipping strategy, niche and product selection, supplier recruiting and onboarding, Google & Bing Shopping ads, ecommerce SEO, and systems-driven automation and scaling. Through Ecommerce Paradise, he provides free education via in-depth guides like How to Start High-Ticket Dropshipping, advanced training through the High-Ticket Dropshipping Masterclass, and fully done-for-you turnkey ecommerce services for entrepreneurs who want a faster, more hands-off path to growth. Trevor is known for emphasizing sustainable, real-world ecommerce models over hype-driven tactics, helping store owners build scalable, sellable, and location-independent brands.
He maintains homes in Seattle and Bali, spends most of the year overseas, and usually returns to Seattle for about a month each summer.
